Crate for rectangular-sectioned articles



0d. 22, 1935. J. c, NICHOLS A 2,017fi17 CRATE FOR RECTANGULAR SECTIONED ARTICLES Filed May 18, 1934 jlfoi'ney:

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNHTED STATES PATENT oFFics CRATE FOR RECTANGULAR-SECTIONED ARTICLES This invention relates to improvements in shipping cases and refers specifically to a shipping case for electric refrigerators or the like provided with means whereby the refrigerator or other device to be shipped is maintained in a rigid position within the case.

The utility, objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and following detail description.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view, illustrating my packing or shipping case as as.- sembled, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I indicates generally a packing or shipping case for a rectangular prism-shaped body indicated diagrammatically at 2, such as, for instance, an electric refrigerator or other article which in itself is relatively heavy and may be possessed of a dellcate finish which must be protected. The case I may comprise opposite sides 3, 3 and 4, 4, top 5 and bottom 6, assembled in prismatic form and housing the refrigerator 2.

The walls of each of the sides 4 may be constructed of plywood mounted upon longitudinal frame members I, cross-frame members 8 and reinforcing member 9. The wall of the bottom 6 may also be "constructed of plywood mounted upon cross frame members I0, which protrude a relatively short distance beyond the wall at each end. Two cleats I I may be mounted upon the opposite side of the bottom plywood wall and may be coextensive with the edge of the wall, said cleats being disposed transversely to members I0.

Cleats .I I, as will be hereinafter more fully described, serve as supports for the legs or base of the refrigerator 20. The wall of top 5 may be constructed of plywood and may be mounted upon the rectangular frame I2.

The walls of sides 3 may also be constructed of plywood and as a feature of my invention the longitudinal frame members I3 upon which said walls may be mounted may each comprise cleats I4 and I5, which may be coextensive with the length of the walls, cleats I4 being wider than cleats I5 to provide a right-angle corner I6 at each frame member I3. Packing material Il may be suitably secured in each corner I6, said mate- 5 rial being relatively soft and resilient, and being coextensive with the length of the members I3. Transverse frame members I8 may be positioned at each end of the wall and may be secured to the same side of the wall which carries members I3.

55 If desired, a transverse reinforcing member I9 may span the wall of each of the sides 3 intermediate their length, said reinforcing member being equal in thickness to, and flush with, cleat I4. The reinforcing members-I9 may carry padding or packing material 20 similar in character to the padding I'I.

When utilizing my invention, sides 3 and 4 and top and bottom 5 and 6 respectively are preformed and previous to assembly padding I1 and 20 is tacked or otherwise secured respectively to mem- 10 bers I3 and I9. The refrigerator 2 or other article to be crated is then mounted upon the bottom 6, the members I'I being adapted to support the legs or base of the refrigerator. Sides 3 are then secured at their lower ends to the bottom 6 15 and at their upper ends to top 5. In so securing sides 3, the corners of the refrigerator register with angles I6 and the refrigerator is held rigid by the confining cleats I4 and I5. The presence of the padding I! in the corners I6, of course, pre- 2 vents marring of the refrigerator finish while permitting the cleats to bear tightly upon the corners. Sides 4 are then positioned over the open ends of the parallelopiped formed by sides 3, top 5 and bottom 6 thereby completely enclosing the refrig- 25 erator within the crate.

It is to be noted that members I, 8 and '9 serve as frame members for the plywood walls ofsides 4 and when assembled said members are positioned exteriorly of the crate. However, members I3 when the crate is assembled, are positioned interiorly of the crate whereby to confine and hold the refrigerator 2 rigid. In addition to performing this function, members I3 serve as frame members for the support of the plywood walls 35 of sides 3.

The entire crate I, of course, is preferably constructed of wood and the various constituent elements thereof may be nailed or screwed together both in preforming the sides, top and bottom, and 4,0 in assembly.

I claim as my invention:

1. A crate for refrigerators or the like which comprises in combination, a top, a bottom and opposite sides joined in the form of a parallelo- 45 piped, characterized in that the walls of said confining members comprise relatively thin plywood panels and are supported by frame members and the frame members, of two opposite sides are positioned interiorly of the crate and serve to 50 maintain the refrigerator rigid within the crate.

2. A crate for a rectangular-sectioned refrigerator or the like which comprises in combination,

a top, a bottom and opposite sides joined together in the form of a parallelopipcd, each of the sides comprising walls supported on frame members, said walls comprising relatively thin plywood panels, opposite sides being characterized in that the frame members therefore are mounted on the interior of the walls, and opposite frame members of said walls each comprise a pair of cleats secured together, one of said cleats being wider than the other to form a right-angle shoulder only the widerof said cleats being directly secured to said opposite sides, said shoulders being adapted to engage the corners of the refrigerator to maintain the same rigid within the crate.

3. A crate for a rectangular-sectioned refrigerator or the like which comprises in combination, a bottom and opposite sides joined together in the form of a parallelopiped, each of the sides comby said members interposed between said shoulders and refrigerator corners, the remaining opposite sides being characterized in that the frame members therefor are mounted on the exterior of the walls.

JAMES C. NICHOLS. 

